Example embodiments of the inventive concept relate to a solar cell and a method of fabricating the same, in particular, to a solar cell with a nano wire and a method of fabricating the same.
Recently, there is an increasing interest in new and renewable energy technologies. Especially, photovoltaic technologies have been actively developed. For example, it have been proven that energy conversion efficiencies of 18%, 15%, and 10% can be achieved from a single crystalline silicon solar cell, a poly silicon solar cell, and an amorphous silicon solar cell. To commercialize photovoltaic systems, it is necessary to develop a technology capable of reducing cost for solar cells.
The first practical photovoltaic cell with an energy conversion efficiency of about 4.5% was developed in 1954 at Bell Laboratories by Daryl Chapin, Calvin Souther Fuller and Gerald Pearson. Thereafter, a high-efficiency solar cell based on a crystalline silicon substrate was actively researched in Australia, Germany, and Japan, and in 1985, a high-efficiency silicon solar cell with an energy conversion efficiency of 20% or more was developed at University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia. In addition, a silicon solar cell with the highest efficiency of 24.7% was developed in 1999. As the market for solar electricity grows quickly, demand for a crystalline silicon solar cell is being significantly increased. For example, a crystalline silicon solar cell accounts for 93.5% of the total solar cell market of 1.8 GW, in 2005. Likewise, as the market rapidly grows, it is necessary to develop technology that can improve conversion efficiency, cost per watt, productivity, and so forth.